16 Sep FLOOR TO OUR MERCHANTS: CRAK BREWERY

How did Crak Brewery business story begin and how did you become Italy’s Brewery of the Year in 2018?

It all started in 2012 as a “beer firm”, we were crafting our beers at other brewing companies’ sites at that time. 2015 was a veritable turning point for our business as we purchased our own production site and launched the Crak brand, becoming masters of our destiny. With increased awareness and a healthy dose of recklessness, we had set ourselves the objective of brewing the best beer for beer-lovers to enjoy. This does limited itself to just brew the best possible beer, it also meant to manage the supply chain and the whole logistics behind it up to the end consumer: after only three years from Crak’s launch, in 2018 we won this fantastic award, which really reinforced that we were on the right track.

You have become a fully independent agricultural craft brewery. What does it mean to you to have reached this milestone?

It means to finally have a short supply chain: direct relationships with our beer consumers as well as with all the bars and pubs that support our brand by serving the perfect Crak beer.

You grow your own barley and fruits to handcraft your products while focusing on design and innovation…

Quality is an absolute priority: it drives everything we do, it is the combination of craftsmanship and style, creativity and innovation.

The Crak Brewery online shop is a successful e-commerce. When and with what objectives was it launched?

The date of 22 February 2020 is truly unforgettable for us all at Crak. On this day, we risked everything by choosing to become a fully independent brewery with the aim of following and managing every stage of our activities ourselves, from the production to the delivery of our beers in the hands of the final consumer.

Did the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown have an impact on your online sales?

Undoubtedly, the Coronavirus lockdowns and mandated stay-at-home orders had an impact on online sales as a whole, bringing people who had never bought online before to make their first e-purchase. Our online sales have seen significant growth, too.

What are the cornerstones of your strategy, also in light recent events?

Digital has become essential. At our end, having an online sales channel allows to bridge the distance between us and the people who drink our beers. If well designed, an e-commerce makes life easier for the seller and even more so for those who want to enjoy an excellent beer.

Let’s take an example: today we put our Guerrilla beer in cans and upload the available product to our online shop. A private individual or a pub buy it from our e-shop and in 24, maximum 72 hours for the most distant locations, they receive it as fresh as if consumed directly in our brewery. All this while maintaining the cold chain. It sounds like a dream but today that’s reality.

What channels do you mostly value to promote your brand online and how do you use them?

We would not call it “promotion”. We rather tell who we are and what we do through our main and official channel, which is our website, crakbrewery.com, the only reliable e-place where we can express our creativity without any limit. Of course, Facebook and Instagram are also key for increasing our brand visibility and reaching out to new audiences.

Could you name three tools that you consider essential for a successful e-commerce marketing strategy?

The only tool we use and value is our newsletter. Other than this, the good work is made by an easy-to-navigate website and by customer service. Satisfied customers are the best marketing “tool” you can have.

How important to you is user experience on your website, with particular reference to the payment at check-out?

It is truly crucial. Simplicity, security and privacy are key.

Why did you decide to use MyBank and how does its payment solution fit your digital development strategy?

As of 22 February 2020, we only use our online shop to reach out and sell to Italy’s best bars and pubs. Not only, but in particular for our B2B channel it was essential to include MyBank among the available payment methods. Thanks to this solution, those who have a pub or a bar do not have to wait for our presence at the Crak office to place and pay their order by bank transfer but can do that at any time of day in total autonomy.

What results have you achieved or would you like to achieve with MyBank?

Our aim is to eliminate as much bureaucracy as possible in the relationship with our B2B customers and MyBank is helping us achieve this goal by streamlining our payments and all our administrative processes as a whole. By doing so, the relationship with bars and pubs will no longer focus on administrative issues but we will finally be able to enjoy good conversations about beer.

MyBank provides you with immediate confirmation of the irrevocable payment, meaning certainty of collection. Does this feature facilitate order management at Crak?

Absolutely. Only few B2B customers dispose of a corporate card for online payments.
The possibility to pay with MyBank significantly streamlines their orders and, at the same time, optimises order management at our end.

Does Crak Brewery have any new project in the pipeline?

We actually have more than one, some of them already are at an advanced stage, however no spoilers now (for good luck)! To stay tuned, you can visit our website where you will always find all the latest news from Crak.